Album of the week

LIAM GALLAGHER: As You Were (Warner Bros)

Verdict: Cocksure motormouth lets the music talk THE build-up to Liam Gallagher’s first solo album has been dominated by cutting online barbs directed at his estranged elder brother Noel. They are typical of Liam, but unnecessary: on As You Were, the Mancunian motormouth lets his music do the talking.

The album, much of it produced by American pop craftsman Greg Kurstin, finds one of rock’s most charismatic frontmen at the top of his game.

Liam delivers a string of tuneful rock ’n’ roll songs with bags of attitude, while using the ballads to explore the more melodic edges of his raspy voice. Lyrics aren’t always a strong point. The acoustic Chinatown lifts from John Lennon with the line ‘happiness is still a warm gun’. You Better Run throws in references to both The Beatles and Rolling Stones in rhyming Helter Skelter with Gimme Shelter.

For What It’s Worth is better. An Oasis-via-TheBeatles ballad that threatens to break into Don’t Look Back In Anger, it finds normally cocksure Liam owning up to his mistakes.

Elsewhere, songs made for communal sing-a-longs prevail. Greedy Soul is all urgent acoustic guitars, stirring horns and soulful backing vocals, while it’s hard to recall Gallagher singing with more conviction than he does on Paper Crown. There are few surprises here, but Liam has his mojo back.